Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Cocos-Keeling Island, Indonesia and the Philippines north to Southern Japan, and south to Tuamotu Islands and Lord Howe Island.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons, reef flats, and fore-reef slopes at depths between 3 – 100 feet (1 – 30 m) and feeds on soft corals (zoanthids), stony coral polyps, worms, hydroids, tunicates, sea anemones and filamentous algae.
General Husbandry: One of the hardier species, besides quite attractive. Its body is basically white with numerous vertical grey lines, two black patches on the upper body (hence the common name), black eye band, and yellow on the aft edge of the body. The caudal peduncle is black, with yellow dorsal, anal and tail fins.
Best maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, live rock hiding places, and having some micro and macroalgae growths. As to diet, a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) is a good beginning. Once feeding regularly, various frozen meaty foods such as mysis, can be offered several times daily. Flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and/or Nori should also be occasionally offered. Not a difficult species to get feeding in captivity.
Yet should there be a problem getting this species to feed, small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium may help entice it to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp may be more readily accepted.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
FYI: Will consume Aiptasia anemones.
Can be maintained with others in the same genus or with others from other butterflyfish genera, yet best to introduce all at the same time.
Juveniles acclimate more easily to aquarium life than do adults.
Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Coral Safe: No
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 74 - 82°F (23 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
